Whispers
by Whisper of a Winter's Song
Summary: When four queens from different Clans all kit at the same time,an old prophecy issued several seasons ago resurfaces. Will the Whispers of the past resurface, or forever hide in the dark? "Four will kit, filled with fright, four to be born in the dead of night. While four are gathering under the moon, unknowingly saving the fifth from sure doom. "
1. Alliances

**Alliances:**

**Leader:  
**Leafstar - Small calico she-cat with leaf green eyes.  
**Deputy:  
**Sandheart - Snady tabby tom with amber eyes.  
**M****edicine Cat:  
**Ashcloud - Grey flecked she-cat with blue eyes.  
**Apprentice: **Snowpaw  
**Warriors:  
**Hawktail - Dark tabby tom with dark amber eyes.  
**Apprentice: **Blackpaw  
Mosspelt - Patched black and white she-cat with blue eyes.  
Birchfrost - Ginger tabby and white tom with green eyes.  
**Apprentice: **Blazepaw  
Silverstripe - Grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes.  
Sparrowfur - Light brown she-cat.  
Redwing - Dark ginger tom with amber eyes.  
Breezetail - White, with darker flecks, tom with green eyes.  
Berrystorm - Pale tom with blue eyes.  
**Apprentice: **Mistypaw

**Apprentices:  
**Snowpaw - White tom with yellow eyes.  
Blackpaw - Black tom with white paws and tail tip. Amber eyes.  
Blazepaw - Dark ginger she-cat with green eyes.  
Mistypaw - Grey and white she-cat with blue eyes.

**Queens:  
**Lilypelt - Pale grey she-cat with amber eyes.  
Sorrelshade - Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

**Elders:  
**Applestripe - A ginger tabby tom with amber eyes.  
Briarthorn - White and grey patterned she-cat with sightless blue eyes. Retired aged 30 moons due to being scratched blind.

**ShadowClan**

**Leader: **  
Fallenstar - Silver tabby tom with ice blue eyes

**Deputy:**  
Frostfoot - White tom with green eyes.

**Medicine Cat: **  
Squirrelheart - Mottled ginger tom with light amber eyes.

**Warriors:**  
Toadheart - Cream tom with black paws and a darker mask, amber eyes.  
Ashclaw - Dark grey tom with lighter flecks and blue eyes.  
**Apprentice:** Crowpaw  
Sugarwhisker - Pale tabby tom with long dark whiskers and amber eyes.  
Poppytail - Speckled brown she-cat with green eyes.  
Dawnfire - Golden she-cat with bright amber eyes.  
**Apprentice:** Squirrelpaw  
Honeypelt - Ginger she-cat with blue eyes.  
Jaywing - Solid black tom with moss green eyes and one white paw.  
Brackenfrost - Brown striped she-cat with grey eyes.  
Birchheart - White and tabby tom with green eyes.  
** Apprentice:** Icepaw  
Frostfoot - White she-cat with blue/ grey eyes, partially deaf.  
Flamestripes - Dark ginger striped tom.  
** Apprentice:** Nightpaw  
Bumblestorm - Grey striped tom with amber eyes.

**Queens:**  
Goldenfur - Young ginger queen with orange eyes.  
Lizzardspots - Tabby cat with green eyes.

**Apprentices:**  
Crowpaw - Dark grey tom with amber eyes  
Squirellpaw - Ginger she-cat with green eyes  
Icepaw - Grey and white speckled tom  
Nightpaw - Jet black she-cat with grey eyes

Elders:  
Dewfur - Small pale tabby.  
Deadear - Deaf since birth tom.

**RiverClan**

**Leader:**  
Reedstar - Grey tom with a noticeably dark paw.

**Deputy:**  
Silvertail - Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:**  
Goldspeck - Golden she-cat with orange eyes  
**Apprentice:** Dustpaw

**Warriors:**  
Echoheart - Light grey she-cat with blue eyes.  
Ivybreeze - Blue tabby and white she-cat with green eyes.  
Ravenwing - Sleek black tom with bright amber eyes.  
Fawnspots - Spotted tabby tom.  
Snowflower - Pale speckled she-cat.  
**Apprentice: **Heatherpaw  
Buzzardstripe - Sleek silver and black taby tom with green eyes.  
Nettleclaw - Beautifully patterned tortoiseshell she-cat.  
Bramblethorn - Dark tabby tom with blue eyes.

**Queens: **  
Morningrain - Pale brown she-cat.  
Streampelt - Silver striped she-cat with blue eyes.

**Apprentices:**  
Dustpaw - Dusky brown tom with blue eyes.  
Heatherpaw - Grey she-cat with amber eyes.

**Elders:**  
Brownnose - Brown tom and green eyes.  
Clearwhisker - White tom with long whiskers.

**WindClan**

******Leader:  
**Redstar - Calico tom with a dark red paw.

**Deputy:** Heathernose - Pale she-cat with blue eyes.

**Medicine Cat:**  
Silvercloud - Grey tabby she-cat  
**Apprentice:** Willowwind - Light tabby she-cat

**Warriors:**  
Grassheart - Light brown tom.  
Mosspelt - Grey and white patched she-cat.  
Blossompool - Pale yellow she-cat with lighter flecks.  
Kinktail - Dusky tom with a bent tail.  
**Apprentice: **Littlepaw  
Badgerfang - Black and white tom with amber eyes.  
Brightflower - Ginger and white she-cat with green eyes.  
Duskbreeze - Dark grey she-cat with amber eyes.

**Queens:**  
Fallownose - Grey she-cat with dark stripes.  
Hawkwing - Dark tabby she-cat.

**Apprentices:**  
Littlepaw - Grey tom with unusually small paws.


	2. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please leave constructive criticism to allow me to improve. Thank you!**

* * *

**Prologue**

The almost round moon shone down on the soon to be ThunderClan leader as she walked, her medicine cat only a few steps ahead of her. She placed her paws carefully one before the other as she began the climb to the Moonpool, her whiskers twitching in nervous excitement.

"Are you ready, Leafpelt?" the grey tabby in front of her asked, when the pair had reached the pool. She nodded stiffly, hypnotized by the seemingly glowing waters before her.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Ashcloud." She responded, laying down by the pool. She leaned down and lapped up some water, and immediately felt the coolness of the stars seep through her bones from nose to tail tip. Her eyelids grew heavier, and she soon drifted off into sleep.

When she opened her eyes once more, she was surrounded by cats with starlight in their fur, and she was standing in a starlit hollow. Her green eyes widened at the sight of her long dead kit, Tawnykit, standing in the ranks of StarClan and rushed forth to greet her, but found her paws rooted to the ground. Tawnykit simply dipped her head.

A large black tom stepped forwards, his pelt littered with glowing stars. "Leafpelt, are you ready to receive the nine lives of a leader?" He asked.

Leafpelt nodded. "Yes, Darkstar, I am ready." she replied, trying to sound confident, though her flicking tail gave away her nervosity.

The first cat, a flame coloured she-cat took a step towards her. She gave a small smile and touched her nose to Leafpelt's calico fur. "With this life I give you courage, use it well to defend your Clan."

A jolt of energy ragged through the calico's small body, leaving her shaking on the spot. She hadn't expected it to _hurt. If that was one life, what would the others feel like?_ She straightened herself and watched as the first cat left and a second stepped forth.

It was a dark tabby tom, amber eyes excited. "This is the first time I've given a life." he explained, and Leafpelt nodded. "With this life, I give you justice. Use it well to judge the actions of others." He continued, as he touched his nose to her forehead.

If possible, this life hurt even more, as Leafpelt experienced all the pain and heartbreak the previous leaders had experienced when they judged and punished. This time though, she closed her eyes, drinking in the life, willing more of it to fill her.

The second cat stepped back, and a jet black she-cat took his place. "Duskflower?" she asked, voice barely more than a whisper. The she-cat nodded.

"With this life, I give you loyalty, to what you know to be right. Use it to guide your Clan in times of trouble."

She touched her black nose to Leafpelt's, and though the leader-to-be had braced herself for the pain, it never came. Instead, she was filled with wisdom, goodness and knowledge, and she willingly drank the life that had been offered for her.

The fourth cat stepped forward, his long sandy legs taking him there in a matter of strides. "With this life I give tireless energy. Use it well to perform your duties as a leader."

A jolt went through Leafpelt's small body, and she felt her legs lift off the ground and she ran as fast as she'd never done before, she caught more prey that in the rest of her lifetime, fought all the battles in the history of the clans, in a matter of seconds. At the end, all she could think of was the feeling of her paws pounding the ground, and wanting to do it all again.

A patched cat stepped forwards, her small frame matching Leafpelt's. "With this life I give you protection. Use it to care for your Clan like a mother cares for her kits." Touching her nose briefly to Leafpelt's, she too stepped back.

Leafpelt, having believed this life would be loving like Duskflower's, was surprised at the immense pain that filled her from whiskers to tail tip. She felt invincible, as if she could lay down all her lives for her Clan in a heartbeat, not afraid of anything. In a blink of an eye, the pain was over, and the fifth cat stepped back.

Pain filled the calico's eyes as the next cat stepped forward. "Tawnykit? Please tell me you're happy? I'm so sorry I wasn't strong enough." she whispered, her leaf green eyes searching.

"I'm fine mother, I promise. I forgive you." her long lost kit replied. "With this life I give you mentoring. Use it to train the young of your Clan." The small tortoiseshell reached up and touched her nose to Leafpelt's chin, before stepping back and taking her place in the ranks of StarClan.

A great cloud of anguish filled Leafpelt's heart, the torment so great she was doubting her survival. Her heart was breaking uncountable times and she had no time to recover. She was overflowing with despair, and she felt the urge to turn and run. Her paws, however, were still firmly rooted to the ground.

The seventh cat, a grey flecked tom, took his place before her. "With this life I give you compassion. Use it to care for the elders, the sick and all those weaker than yourself." he touched his muzzle to her head, and stepped back.

Even though receiving this life was painful, Leafpelt stood strong through this life, as it was nowhere near the pain she had experienced during the first few lives that had been offered for her. She once more drank the life, savoring the feeling of it pouring into her.

Next came Greytail, the medicine cat before Ashcloud. He smiled warmly at her, almost more loving than when he'd been alive. "With this life I give you love. Use it well for all the cats you care about - especially Birchfrost." He touched his nose to her muzzle.

Leafpelt had braced herself for the pain but it never came. Instead, she felt the infinite love that all of StarClan had experienced in their life times, being poured into her heart with such warmth and care she was lost for words. Her eyes gleamed with joy.

The last cat stepped forth, his amber eyes gleaming with pride, and his black shoulders squared. He looked down at Leafpelt. "Welcome, Leafpelt, my warrior and deputy. I knew you would make a great leader one day." Leafpelt dipped her head respectfully. "With this life I give you nobility, certainty, and faith. Use it well as you lead your Clan in the ways of StarClan and the warrior code."

After the calm of the last life, Leafpelt was in no way prepared for the agony that her final life brought. It brought joy and suffering, happiness and sadness, desperate madness, terror and power, before ending in a calm acceptace.

Darkstar lifted his nose from her head. " I hail you by your new name, Leafstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of Thunderclan. Defend it well; care for the young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code, and live each life with pride and dignity."

The gathered cats began to chant. "Leafstar, Leafstar!"

The hollow, suddenly, turned to black nothingness, leaving only the pale moon to light her surroundings. "Hello?" she called out nervously, taking a step forward. There was no answer.

Instead, the silhouettes of four cats appeared, all in different sitting positions. Hundreds of voices echoed, from what, she didn't understand, mixing together into one.

"Four will kit, filled with fright. Four to be born in the dead of night. While four are gathering under the moon, unknowingly saving the fifth from sure doom."

Leafstar barely had time to open her mouth to reply, before she was snatched away back to reality. She glanced at Ashcloud, her gaze clearly signaling they needed to talk.

"Did everything go as planned?" the medicine cat asked.

"I'll tell you on the way."


	3. Chapter 1

Moonlight streamed through the canopy of leaves, dappling the ground silver. The camp was silent, except for the occasional squeal from the nursery. A lone cloud drifted across the inky black sky, cutting off the dim glow from the moon for a few moments. Mosspelt stood at the entrance, waiting patiently for her leader and the party of warriors to return from this moon's gathering.

A crunch of leaves made her prick her ears and sniff the air, but it was only a outside of the camp. It's lucky everyone except for me are sleeping. Mosspelt thought, It would have been crowfood otherwise. The muscles in her shoulders rippled as she paced, proving she was a worthy and seasoned warrior.

As she paced, a sharp pain filled her belly, erupting from nowhere. The warrior groaned, laying down by the camp entrance, breathing in sharp breaths, as wave after wave of pain engulfed her in a sea of torture. She gasped as she lay, no cat to help, giving birth to her first and only kit.

After what seemed like forever, a dark ginger kit lay beside her, his thick fur brushing against hers comfortingly as he slept soundly. Once Mosspelt had collected her strength, she picked him up gently, carrying him and herself into the nursery. She lay down in the only empty nest, curled up against the warm body of her offspring.

The black and white she-cat fell asleep listening to the soothing sound of soft snores, and the smell of a newborn kit. She smiled in her sleep, eyes closed peacefully in obvious love for her little one. She let out a sigh or relief of being in the warmth, sharing the den with three kits and two queens did something to keep the temperature up.

* * *

The next morning, Mosspelt was awoken by a prodding paw. She opened her eyes wearily, and was greeted by Sorrelshade's green eyes. She moaned, and closed her eyes once more. She cured her tail protectively around her young kit and turned away from the prying queen.

"I didn't think you had a mate?" Sorrelshade asked, curiosity practically dripping from her words. She had walked around Mosspelt, sitting in front of her.

Mosspelt opened her blue eyes to glance at her new denmate. "I don't." she hissed. "And it would have been none of your business is I did." she continued, eyes narrowed. She licked her kit awake, and surprisingly he didn't let out a squeak.

Sorelshade shrugged. "Who is it?" she asked, apparantly unaware of the other cat's need to be left alone.

"No-one" the reply came as a growl, "Did you see my belly expand, like yours is now?" Mosspelt asked. "Did you see me going to the Medicine den for herbs, or move into the nursery? If the answer to all those questions are no, then you can conclude, correctly, that I have not been aware of this kit, nor had a mate to notice for me."

At that, Lilypelt rose from her nest of sleeping kits. "Who has a mate?" she asked, her voice the exact same as Sorrelshade's before her.

"Not me."

"Don't worry, Mosspelt, all queens are grouchy after giving birth." Lilypelt assured her, at which Mosspelt groaned again,and walked out, towards her leaders den, eyes blazing with annoyance at the two queens' words. Had they not realized the kit didn't have a father.

"Leafstar!" Her voice echoed in the cavern of the leaders den, her voice searching and pleading.

"Come in!" Leafstar replied. The seasoned warrior padded inside and sat down, curling her tail around her paws.

"I'm not sure if you've heard already, the queens sure like gossiping," she began, feeling reassured by Leafstar's simple nod. "But I gave birth to a single tom kit yesterday, while you were at the gathering. He has no father, I have no mate after all, and there is no cat who could have fathered him. I was wondering whether I could name him and give him to Lilypelt to look after. I'm no mother, and I have no milk for him."

Leafstar nodded, licking a forepaw. "What would you like for his name to be?" she asked, looking directly at Mosspelt's deep blue eyes.

"I should like for him to be named Thunderkit, in honor of the Clan who will raise him." She said confidently, her gaze hard, as if challenging her leader to protest, after all, Clan names were never used for naming kits.

Leafstar, however, simply dipped her head. "As you wish, I will visit him in the nursery later today." She turned away, making it clear that she was not going to discuss the matter further.

"Thank you." Mosspelt replied respectfully, before padding outside. She grabbed a mouse and bounded to the nursery, her eyes bright and full of life once more. Her kit was going to live, and the Clan would father him. She ducked inside and licked her small kit's forehead.

She ate the mouse slowly, before burying the bones outside the camp. _Listen to the Whispers, listen to the Echoes, they tell of the past, and show you the future._ A voice, or several, she couldn't tell, murmured in her ear, sending chills down her back.

"Hello?" she asked, bristling, but there was no answer. She frowned, before turning back to camp, she'd probably just imagined it.

_Listen to the whispers…._

Mosspelt ignored it the second time, not bothering to care. It must have been a bad mouse. She thought to herself, heading into camp again.

As she entered, a yowl cut through the clearing. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath High-Rock for a Clan meeting!"

The Clan padded to the center of the clearing, whispering between themselves. Why was their leader calling a meeting, what was it about?

"We are gathered here to perform a ceremony I rarely perform. The naming of a kit." Leafstar's voice ran strong and clear through the crowd of gathered cats. "Mosspelt, will you bring him out please."

Mosspelt did as she was told, collecting the young tom and carrying him gently by his scruff. She whispered soothing words as she placed him beside Leafstar, and stepped back to join the others.

"Young kit, from this day forth you shall be known as Thunderkit, as a credit to the Clan who will raise you as their own." She touched her nose gently to his. "We will protect you, train you and love you, and one day you will do the same. StarClan accepts you as you are, may they light your path. Lilypelt will look after you, child of the Clan, until her kit's leave the nursery."

Thunderkit's stood completely still, his posture suggesting wisdom far beyond him moons. "May StarClan light your path." His mother echoed sadly, watching as he was guided back to the nursery..


End file.
